1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a locking device for securely engaging a pair of skis together and may include a device for securing the lock to a third object.
2. The Prior Art
With the increased emphasis upon skiing as a recreation, there has been a corresponding increase in theft of skis. Generally, skis are removed from where the owner or user has temporarily deposited them, usually at rest or refreshment areas adjacent ski slopes or from automobile racks with removal being accomplished, for example, by a person exchanging a less valuable pair of skis for the more valuable pair of skis and then skiing or walking away with the newly acquired skis. To thwart this practice, it has become customary for skiers to use various ski restraining devices; for example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,636,739; 3,742,740; 3,461,696; and 3,727,934.
The first reference above discloses a device having at least two separate parts which combine to securely engage the skis. Bulk is thereby increased and the chances of the parts becoming separated are greater. The latter three references disclose ski locking devices which require the physical alteration of the skis before the devices can be used to lock the skis.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a ski locking device which is compact and thus easily portable, unitary to preclude loss of one part, and adaptable for noninjuriously securing a pair of skis to a third object.